Meet Again
by Erin Gem
Summary: Stacey's in college, and she meets up with crush from her past.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: All characters below (Except for Natalie) belong to Ann M. Martin. Not me.  
  
  
  
Stacey McGill walked down the busy streets of New York. She had decided to go to college there, her real love was New York.  
  
She was almost twenty. Only five days away. There was nothing like New York in the spring. She was on her way back to her dorm, from work, when she decided to cut through the park.   
  
Stacey had grown up. She moved from Stoneybrook when she was eighteen, back to New York to go to the University. She kept her long blonde hair, but stopped perming it, and it grew out straight, with just a hint of a wave to it. When she was fifteen, she had to get glasses, so her eyes were hidden behind a pair of wire frames. Later she got contacts with color; her eyes now even bluer.  
  
Her sophisticated choice in clothes only grew more so as she grew. She always kept up with the trends, even now, but added something that was all her. Like today she was wearing a black miniskirt with black tights, an oversized white blouse, and shiny, almost kid-like dress shoes on. She looked like she stepped out of a fashion magazine, until you caught sight of the earrings in the shapes of carrots, that her friend Claudia had made for her a few years back. She wouldn't have been able to wear anything of the sort to any job: except for hers. She worked at a trendy boutique where she bought most of her clothes, and they loved having employees as models.   
  
She whisked her way through the park, inhaling the thick scent of lilacs. She glanced down at a planter to see it filled with the purple flowers. She was tempted to pick some and take them back to her dorm, but her roommate, Natalie, had severe allergies, and wouldn't care for the lovely scent as Stacey did.   
  
She kept going down the path. Just as she reached the edge of the park, where she could see the building she lived in, something else caught her eye. A man walking toward her. He was tall with wavy brown hair, and a stack of folders under his arm.   
  
Stacey did a double-take at him. Before she could even stop herself from saying it, she blurted out, "Wes?"   
  
The man turned around, "Yes?"   
  
"Oh my god, Wes Ellenburg." She shook her head in amazement, "I doubt you'd even remember me, I'm Stacey McGill."   
  
His face grew serious, studying her, trying to remember. And then his serious expression disappeared, and he grinned. "Stoneybrook Middle School."   
  
Stacey grinned in return. It was just contagious. "You *do* remember!"   
  
"My god, how long has it been? Four years?" He asked, shifting the folder under his other arm.   
  
"Five." She answered, "How are you doing?"   
  
"Really good, actually...listen, the sidewalk isn't a very good place for this. I know a fantastic coffee shop just across the street and down a couple of blocks. How about we talk there?"   
  
"Yeah, sure. I don't have any plans for the evening." Stacey said, trying to forget about her loose plans of going to the movies with Natalie. But they were only loose plans. They had loose plans for a reason. So if something more important came up, they could be dropped.  
  
Wes grinned. "Let's go."   
  
They walked down to the coffee shop, and sat down.   
  
"So, Stacey, what are you doing here?" He asked.  
  
"College." She answered with a smile, "I got to the university here. Besides, I love New York. Always have. What are you doing here?"   
  
"School for me too. But I teach at a local high school. Geometry." He replied. Then he shook his head, "You've changed so much. How old are you now? If you don't mind my asking."   
  
"I'll be twenty in five days." She said. "How old are you now?"   
  
"Twenty-nine."  
  
"Married?"  
  
"Divorced."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"You married?" Wes asked.   
  
"No."  
  
"Doubted it, but it was possible." He said, grinning.   
  
"Anything is possible. That's my motto." Stacey said, catching his contagious grin.   
  
"And a good motto it is." He stopped for a moment, "So, what are you majoring in?"   
  
"Math. I want to be a teacher." She said, laughing. "I think you inspired me."   
  
"Now that I doubt. You were always a great student, especially in math, you would have gone in that, or a similar, direction."   
  
"All my dad can talk about is how much teachers don't make. My mom loves it that I'm doing whatever it is I want to do. She's one of those real 'follow your dreams' type people. Mostly because she didn't have that option."   
  
Wes nodded. "My dad was like that. I could do whatever it is I wanted, unless I wanted to be something that paid bad. So, he wasn't very happy when I told him I was going to be a teacher. By now he accepts it fine, though. Now my parents just want me to settle down again. And have some kids this time. They're begging me for grandchildren."  
  
Stacey laughed. "My mom isn't there yet. In a few years she will be, though."  
  
"So, what are you? A junior?" He asked.  
  
"A sophomore. But the year's almost out."  
  
"You have any summer plans yet?"  
  
"Not yet. It's still a little early for that. I was thinking about spending a few weeks in Stoneybrook with my mom. And a couple of my friends still live there, so I'd get to see them too."  
  
"I always did like Stoneybrook."  
  
She smiled. "Me too."  
  
There was that weird uncomfortable silence.   
  
"So, you going to teach like high school math or something?" Wes asked, breaking the silence.   
  
"No, actually, I want to teach about maybe fourth or fifth grade." Stacey answered.  
  
"That's great." He smiled at her. "It's so weird just running into you like this. I never see former students. Especially in the middle of New York City. Well, except for the guy who was in my class last year and lives in my building."  
  
She laughed, "Well, I've never seen a former teacher just walking around, and if I had, I probably wouldn't remember them."  
  
"You remembered me." Wes pointed out.   
  
"You were different."   
  
"Oh, how so?"   
  
"You're telling me you don't remember the most embarrassing moment of my life?" Stacey asked, flushing from her adolescent mistakes.   
  
"I can't remember anything in the least negative about you."   
  
She felt her already red face, turn an even darker shade. "Thank you." She was able to whisper.   
  
He grinned, but his smile dropped as he glanced down at this watch. "I have to go." He glanced back up at her. "Will I be able to see you again sometime?"   
  
"Yes, sure." She grabbed a napkin and a pen from her purse. She scribbled down her phone number and address. She handed the napkin to him. "I hope I get to see you sometime soon."   
  
"Listen, Stacey, I'm free tomorrow night. If you're not busy we could maybe go do something?" His lips quivered into a shaking smile.   
  
"Yes! I mean, uh, sure. I don't think I have anything planned. You can call me and we'll set something up, okay?"  
  
"Of course." He said. He stood up, grabbing his folders, he walked out of the coffee shop.   
  
Stacey sat there for a few moments in complete shock. Then she stood up and ran home as fast as she could. She knew Natalie would be there, and this was certainly news!  
  
TBC  
Do you like it? Tell me! 


	2. Chapter Two

"Nat? You here?" Stacey called into the dorm room.   
  
The small brown-haired girl stepped out from her closet, "Yeah, where were you? It's past five. I thought we were going to the four-thirty movie."   
  
"We were, but something came up. Something...wonderful." Stacey flopped down onto her bed, "I met up with this guy, this man, I was in love with five years ago."  
  
Natalie sat down across form her roommate. "You're kidding me. Tell me more."   
  
Stacey grinned. "I swear, he's Tom Cruise's twin brother. Like 'Jerry Maguire' Tom Cruise, not 'Mission Impossible 2' Tom Cruise."   
  
"You're kidding me."   
  
"No, and get this. He wants to see me again."   
  
"Wait, you said this was like five years ago. You would have been fifteen?"  
  
"God, it's been even longer than that? I was thirteen then. Damn."  
  
"He remembered you?"   
  
"I was his best student." Stacey said, smugly.  
  
"*You were his thirteen year old student*?"   
  
"Oh, god, Nat, it wasn't like that."  
  
"What was it like?"  
  
"Like...I had a crush on him. And of course then, he couldn't do anything. He was like twenty-two. *Now* is another story. I'm almost twenty, and he's twenty-nine. And he wants to see me again."   
  
"That's really nice. What's his name?" Natalie asked.   
  
"Wesley Ellenburg." Stacey replied with a sigh.   
  
Natalie began to laugh.   
  
"What?"   
  
"Ellenburg? Come on, Stace, do you really-"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, you make fun of him now. We're going out tomorrow night. You'll see him then, and you'll see that I'm right."   
  
"Right about what? I never said that he didn't look like Tom Cruise. I'm just making fun of his name."   
  
"Okay, now that's cleared up. I'm going to go call people who *know* he's good looking."   
  
Natalie made a face at her roommate, "Are we going to go to the movies, or are you going to go call all of your high school friends?"  
  
"You can go if you want, I"m staying here. Besides, I have homework." Stacey flashed her best supermodel smile, "I'll see you around."   
  
Natalie and Stacey got along all right most of the time, but for being the same age, Stacey was more mature. And she was looking forward to a new roommate next term.   
  
A few minutes later, Natalie left, and Stacey grabbed her cell phone off of the desk. She lived in the classic dorm, and the only phone on the entire floor was a pay phone at the end of the hall. Her free long-distance cell phone was much better if you wanted privacy.   
  
Her fingers flew over the buttons. After three rings, someone picked up. "Hello?"   
  
"Claudia?"   
  
There was a short silence. "Stacey?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Oh my god, it's so great to hear from you! What's it been? Three months?"  
  
"Something like that. What's up?"   
  
Claudia lived in New York as well, studying art, but she went to a college across town, and she and Stacey hardly had time to speak, let alone see each other. "Nothing. I'm just working on this project. It's due in two weeks. You know how I hate working under pressure."   
  
"Yeah, that's too bad..."  
  
"Okay, Stace, I can tell you want to talk about something. What's going on with you?"  
  
"You will never guess who I ran into today!"   
  
"Who?"  
  
"You remember back when we were thirteen, I had a crush on my student teacher?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"That's who I ran into." Stacey proceeded to tell Claudia the rest of the story.   
  
"That is so cool. I am so happy for you." Claudia said, then she stopped, some muffled sounds, and then she came on clearly again, "Stace, I gotta go."   
  
"Oh. Okay. Sure."   
  
After a quick good-bye, Stacey hung up her phone. She felt like Claudia had cut short on purpose. "That's silly." Stacey told herself. She and Claudia had been best friends since they were twelve. Something silly like an old crush couldn't come between that.   
  
Later on that night............  
  
  
Stacey's cell phone was ringing.   
  
"Hang on, hang on." She said, pushing her books to the side. She reached over to the desk and picked up. "Hello?"   
  
"Hello, may I speak with Stacey, please?"   
  
She almost melted. He was so polite! "This is her."   
  
"Hi, this is Wes."   
  
"Hi." She suddenly got nervous. Like she had earlier that afternoon.   
  
"Maybe I shouldn't have called this early, seeming eager or something, but truth be told, I *am* eager." Wes said.   
  
"No, it's fine!" Stacey said into the phone.   
  
"I just wanted to make sure you were still free tomorrow night. And to make some formal plans if you were."   
  
"I'm still free."   
  
"Great. So, you've lived in the city a lot longer than I have. Where's the best places to go on a date?" He asked.  
  
Oh good god, he actually said date. Stacey felt thirteen all over again. Stupid and immature. But when she was thirteen, she was neither, so as confidently as she could, she said, "Quilty's over on Prince Street. It's fantastic. A little pricey, though."   
  
"Quilty's it is, then. When and where should I pick you up?"   
  
"I'll meet you there."   
  
"Great. I'll make reservations."  
  
"Great." Stacey repeated softly.  
  
"I suppose I'll see you then. Six-thirty or so. I'll call you again for with the details."   
  
"Alright." She said, breathlessly. Just he sounds of his voice were effecting her this way, it *had* to be love. "I'll talk to you then."   
  
A short good-bye and Stacey was hanging up her phone. She flopped backwards onto her bed. her life was getting better and better. Nothing, *nothing,* could mess this up now. Nothing was in her way.   
  
That's what she thought.  
  
TBC... 


	3. Chapter Three

The next night came, as all nights eventually do. Stacey, dressed in usual date clothes: a short black dress without sleeves, matching shoes, and her long hair pulled up on top of her head, with a long ponytail flowing down her back. Wes had picked her up and they went to Quilty's, as planned.   
  
"So, really, what inspired you to go into teaching?" Wes asked. "I know it wasn't me. You were just saying that."   
  
"Well, I've always loved children. And I thought I could put this God given talent of numbers, I always think of it as talent since it came so naturally, to some good use. Have you been reading about the teacher shortages?" Stacey said, taking a sip of her water.   
  
He nodded. "I have been. I've been concerned about it too. But, I know a lot of teachers who have left on account of bad pay. Which is what's causing the shortages. I've been doing this for almost eight years and make hardly nothing, but it's what I've wanted to do since I was seventeen. Bad pay isn't going to stop me now."   
  
"Is the pay really...that bad?" Stacey asked.   
  
"No," Wes said laughing. "But teachers who have been teaching for a while think they deserve raises larger than what they're getting. Your pay will start out low, believe me, but the longer you do it, the pay does get better."   
  
"Yeah, but money isn't the reason I'm going into it. It's just one of the perks."   
  
"Amen to that." He said raising his glass to her. Setting it back down, he asked "What do you recommend?"   
  
They had lovely conversation over dinner, and when Wes mentioned dessert, Stacey told him of a place which would be better. Not only in flavor, but for her to find something sugar free. "It's only a fifteen minute cab ride, I promise." She assured.   
  
Wes went to get a cab, while Stacey stood on the curb, watching him, she heard a voice. "Stacey?"   
  
She turned and with clear shock in her voice she said in disbelief. "Sam?"  
  
He grinned. "You remember me."   
  
"Oh my god, Sam Thomas. What are you doing in New York?"   
  
"Visiting a friend. I guess I shouldn't ask what you're doing here. College, right?"   
  
She nodded. "It's amazing to see you here."   
  
"Stacey, I got a cab." Wes said, touching her arm.   
  
She turned and looked at him with a jump. She'd almost forgotten he was there! "Wes, I want you to meet my...friend, Sam Thomas. Who I haven't seen in years."   
  
Sam and Wes shook hands.   
  
"Come on, the cab won't wait forever." Wes said gently.   
  
"Right." Stacey said. She turned to Sam. "It was great to see you. Say hi to Kristy for me, if we don't see each other again while you're here in the city."  
  
"I'll do that." Sam agreed. And just as Stacey went to turn away, he shouted over the bustle of the sidewalk. "You look great!"  
  
She flashed him a grin. "Thanks, you too." And then she got into the cab.  
  
"Old friend, I'm guessing." Wes said after Stacey gave the driver the address.   
  
"Brother of a friend. Actually, we used to date a little back when we were in high school. Nothing ever came out of it. You know high school romances."   
  
"Seems like such a long time ago." He said with a laugh.   
  
She smiled. "Right. A long time ago."   
  
Too soon, the night was past them. "I wish this night wasn't over." Wes said with a small sigh.   
  
Stacey tried to keep her grin under control. "Me too. I really had a great time."   
  
"I wish I could see you to the door. I feel like I'm abandoning you here out front."   
  
She shrugged. "House rules. Stupid, I know. It's not even like I'm in sorority house or anything."  
  
"Hey, I'm a teacher. I'm big on rules."   
  
She giggled.   
  
Then he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I hope that isn't inappropriate for a first date." He said softly.  
  
"No. This would be inappropriate." She said giving him a short kiss on the mouth.   
  
"I'll keep that in mind." He replied smiling. "Bye." He walked away.  
  
She unlocked the door and ran up the stairs. "Oh my god, you will not believe what I just did, Nat."   
  
Natalie looked up at her. "What's that?"  
  
"I just kissed him. Oh my god, I just kissed him."  
  
"Calm down. I don't know what's been with you lately. You've been really...high schoolerish, and it's annoying."   
  
"I'm sorry, Nat." Stacey said sitting down on her bed. "I just can't help it. Wes makes me act that way. It's like he's put some wonderful spell over me. And I'm sorry if I'm irritating you."  
  
"Apology accepted. Now you have to tell me all the details." Natalie said, leaning forward.   
  
Stacey grinned. "We went to Quilty's, you know, over on Prince Street."   
  
"Never been there."  
  
"You will have to go sometime. It's fantastic."   
  
"Okay, so what happened there?"  
  
"We had dinner and we talked. I could have sat there just talking with him for hours. We talked about movies, teaching, the city, and oh, just stuff. You know, first date stuff. And then we were going to go and get dessert -"  
  
"I bet I know what you had in mind." Natalie said, grinning mischievously.   
  
"Shut up! I wouldn't think that. Not on the first date anyway. Next time I'm not so sure. Look out Wes." Stacey said, grinning just as mischievously  
  
"So, that was it? You talked, went to dessert and came back here? Nothing of any importance besides those three things?"   
  
"Ran into an old boyfriend, which is really embarrassing on a *date.*"   
  
"Did Wes go into a jealous rage?"  
  
"About what?" Stacey wanted to know. "There was nothing to be jealous about. Sam and I dated a little in high school. Come on he was a friend of mines' brother. There was just nothing there."  
  
"Oooh, war of the three-letter-name boys!" Natalie said laughing.   
  
Stacey laughed as well. "Hey, I'm going to go shower before I go to bed. Stay up for me, okay? We'll talk more."   
  
"Great, but if I remember correctly, don't you work Saturday mornings?"  
  
"Shit. Right. Bed for me after my shower. I'd rather sleep late and have it out of the way."  
  
"Good thinking."  
  
Stacey gathered up her things to take to the shower. As she walked down the hall, she wondered if anything would really come out of this newfound, refound relationship with Wes.   
  
As she got to the showers, she finally came up with an answer.  
  
Yes.   
  
TBC... 


End file.
